Loose trace minerals

[menagerie]

My trainer said I should be feeding this instead of a block as my horses were not getting enough minerals that way. Does anyone here feed loose salt/minerals and if so has it been an improvement for your horse?

[elleng]

I have my horse on Source which is a minereal supplement. She used to devour mineral/salt blocks but since being on source she doesn't even look at them. She has done quite well on it.

[FrogInABlender]

My trainer said I should be feeding this instead of a block as my horses were not getting enough minerals that way. Does anyone here feed loose salt/minerals and if so has it been an improvement for your horse?

I used to feed them, but then I became a member of the Equine Cushings/Insulin Resistance Yahoo group and found out that there's WAY too much iron in them, and since most horses get more than enough iron in their diet anyways I switched to just plain loose white salt. About a tablespoon full on their feed twice a day will meet a 1000# horse's daily requirement of 2oz of sodium per day.

[menagerie]

What/how much do you feed yours in addition to the minerals?

[WashingtonBay]

I switched to a loose mineral because my pony would sit at one of the blocks and eat it till it was gone. Really addictive compulsive about it. So I got the loose stuff and give them some once in awhile... not even every day. Pony's still nutty about it, more than food even.

[menagerie]

Thanks for that info Frog!

WB, thats interesting too. My trainer said when we first put it out they may go crazy over it but after they get the supplements they need they'll consume it in 'normal' rations.

[WashingtonBay]

Not this pony. She'll eat a 20 pound block and then another one without stopping if I let her... Even if her little tongue bleeds from licking it. I used to worry about her being really deficient or something to do that... but she just REALLY likes it.

[cowgirlup@idaho]

I had a horse that wouldn't lick the block, so I switched to loose and put it in her grain ration at night. She was a rescue and never had a mineral salt block, or any kind of supplement in her 4 1/2 yrs. She became very healthy and beautiful ;)

[cyb]

I feed the loose mineral in the winter time with their grain, it comes with a small scoop, I give them 1 scoop a day on their feed, sometimes they leave it in their bucket and will come back and eat it later. I think its called Free Balance 12:12

[FrogInABlender]

I feed the loose mineral in the winter time with their grain, it comes with a small scoop, I give them 1 scoop a day on their feed, sometimes they leave it in their bucket and will come back and eat it later. I think its called Free Balance 12:12

That's a Purina product isn't it? I've heard about it. It's totally different than just the brown mineral salt that a lot of people use. Supposedly good stuff.

[luvs2ride1979]

I use Uckele's Equi-Balance Grass. It has ALL of the vitamins and minerals that a horse needs. I feed about 25-30 lbs of Bermuda hay a day. I mix the supplement in with a 2qt scoop of chopped alfalfa hay (comes in a bag) and a half scoop of whole oats. They are shiney and healthy, even in their winter woolies!

You could also mix it with just a few handfuls of sweet feed. You really don't need to feed any other "grain" with this supplement, just more hay if the horse loses weight. Or you can add hay pellets or chopped hay, for concentrated calories. Mine don't need it though.

http://www.uckele.com/equine/ezecommerce.cfm?fuseaction=productdetail&productid=546

If you just want a mineral product, to add to your feed, these are good.
http://horsetech.com/photo.htm
http://www.smartpakequine.com/productclass.aspx?productClassid=93
http://www.smartpakequine.com/productclass.aspx?productClassid=85
http://dynamitemarketing.com/Dynamite.htm
http://www.enviromin.com/t-horseHome.aspx

Free Choice minerals:
http://dynamitemarketing.com/2_To_1_Free_Choice.htm
http://www.sweetlix.com/products/product_display.php?recordID=120
http://www.sweetlix.com/products/product_display.php?recordID=7
http://www.evergreenequine.com/catalog/Insure_Minerals-1-1.html
http://www.admani.com/AllianceEquine/MineralsVitamins.htm - free choice, block, or feed supplement
http://www.kentequine.com/Products/Other-Equine-Products/Equestrian%E2%80%99s-Choice%C2%AE-Equine-Mineral.aspx

Article on Free Choice minerals:
http://www.horse-sense.org/archives/free_choice_minerals.php

[cyb]

That's a Purina product isn't it? I've heard about it. It's totally different than just the brown mineral salt that a lot of people use. Supposedly good stuff.
Yes its made by Purina, I like it.

[Lynn_70]

I use Manna Pro loose minerals. It's $20 for a 50# bag and last 4 horses for about 6 months. They seem to like it over the blocks but I have a plain salt block available too. I can't say I've noticed any serious changes but I've been told it's better for their coats, hooves, and teeth.
Lynn

[cyb]

Another thing I forgot to mention is I fed it all winter and in the spring when Willow shed out her winter coat her new shiney coat underneath seemed to be a darker golden palomino than the previous spring when she shed out.